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All community members are invited to joinASUEntrepreneurship+ Innovationand theASU Alumni network as we host a one of a kind event. Hear from Sun Devils in your community who have found entrepreneurship at every stage of life and in unlikely ways.Entrepreneurship hasopened unexpected doors for Sun Devils around the world. Whether it is starting your own venture as a second act career, contributing your business expertise asamentor or creating a side hustle to support your family, come explore the possibilities.

CEO’s to future innovators(families), all are welcome. Light food and a cash bar will be available.

Learn more about our panel members:

Willie Bloomquist, Special Assistant to the President and CEO, Arizona Diamondbacks:

Willie Bloomquist enters his third season as a Special Assistant to D-backs President & CEO Derrick Hall after joining the front office in May 2016. In this role, Bloomquist assists Hall and other departments throughout the baseball and business side of the organization, including working on-field with Minor League players, attending community events, meeting with corporate partners, interacting with season ticket holders and visiting D-backs Minor League affiliates.

Bloomquist became the first Arizona State Sun Devil to play for the D-backs and spent 3 seasons with the franchise from 2011-13, serving a key role on the 2011 National League West Championship team.

In December 2001, he graduated from ASU with a degree in management and in 2013, he was inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame.

A fan favorite in both Seattle and Arizona, Bloomquist has long been involved in the communities in which he played and was the D-backs' 2012 Roberto Clemente nominee for his efforts with Phoenix Children's Hospital.

In addition, Willie is an entrepreneur with his own business creating elite outdoor adventures.

Becoming one of the most respected recruiting firms in the country did not just happen. It was Kathleen Duffy’s single-minded dedication to helping individuals find joy in their work that became her life mission. She, in fact, embodies her fundamental value: that people deserve to be enriched by the activity they focus at least 500,000 hours of their lives on.

She imparts the same strength of purpose to her entire staff, and the result is one of the strongest recruitment teams, from top to bottom, in the business. Her commitment to serving candidates and clients alike motivated Kathleen to develop the Recruitment Research model which enables the Duffy Group to harness marketplace intelligence, work as a discrete (and transparent) partner and deliver quality candidates with up to 50 percent savings over traditional recruitment fees. The ability to scale and customize processes to deliver an optimal outcome benefits both employers and job seekers.

Kathleen is a founding member of the Arizona Human Resource Executive Forum, a professional organization and vital force in addressing and providing current perspectives on complex and challenging human resource and business issues. She is a highly-regarded keynote speaker on recruiting techniques, processes and entrepreneurship. Kathleen was recognized by AZ Society of Human Resource Management with the Al O’Connor Lifetime Achievement Award.

Kathleen has served as the National District Coordinator for National Charity League and President of the NCL Moon Valley chapter, supporting many Phoenix area non-profit organizations including the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Desert Mission Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul, and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She serves on the Board of Directors for the International Search Management Association (IMSA-Search.com).

Kathleen earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Arizona State University. An avid Sun Devil, she served as Chair of the ASU Alumni Association National Board of Directors and Council, is a member of the Board of Trustees and the ASU President’s Club. She is also a member of the Chapter Advisory Board for Kappa Delta Sorority. Read more about Kathleen.

Kimberly Allen, Director of Program, Year Up Arizona and Owner, Cultural Perspectives:

Kimberly is employed with the non-profit, Year Up Arizona, as the Associate Director of Program. She is also the owner of Cultural Perspectives, an educational consulting company focused on educational transformation, cultural competency and family engagement.

She has served in a variety of roles, including Senior Research Associate for WestEd, Deputy Associate Superintendent for the Arizona Department of Education and administrator at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas, NV. Kimberly’s volunteer work includes international missionary service in Thailand, Philippines, Cameroon and Kenya.

She received her Master's in Educational Administration and Leadership from Arizona State University and holds a Bachelor's in Elementary Education and Special Education from Emporia State University. She is the recipient of many honors and awards including the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award, Teaching Tolerance Fellow and member of the National Advisory Board of Rachel’s Challenge, a nonprofit organization.